This invention relates to a dial-up router which is for use in constituting a network by connecting a local area network (LAN) with a wide area network (WAN), and also to a method of controlling outgoing of the dial-up router.
Recently, dial-up routers for connecting and relaying local area networks (LAN) with wide area networks (WAN) including a private line, an ISDN, the other public transmission circuit network, and the like by a dial-up connection have come into wide use with the utilization of internet.
Generally, a dial-up router functions to connect or disconnect terminals at LAN side with WAN such as ISDN, or the like as occasion demands. In such a case, a destination address of packet data which has reached the dial-up router from LAN in accordance with communication protocol, such as TCP/IP, or the like is investigated by the dial-up router, as a necessary condition for outgoing. If the destination address is directed to WAN, the dial-up router automatically transmits the packet data to a transmission circuit of WAN.
However, as will later be described more in detail, all packet data except for those having the destination addresses directed to the inner side of the dial-up router (in other words, those directed to LAN) cause the above transmission to WAN. As a result, it is inevitably caused to occur that a user is charged with increased communication fees.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a dial-up router which is capable of preventing the dial-up router from outgoing
It is another object of the present invention to provide a dial-up router and a method of controlling outgoing thereof capable of preventing the dial-up router from outgoing to a wide area network, when a user of a terminal of a local area network leaves the terminal.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a dial-up router and a method of controlling outgoing thereof capable of preventing the dial-up router from outgoing to a server of a local area network, even though a terminal of the local area network receives outgoing packet data from the server of the local area network during communication therebetween without carrying out troublesome establishments, such as filtering, or the like.
Other objects of this invention will become clear as The description proceeds.
According to an aspect of this invention, there is provided a dial-up router for use in constituting a network by connecting a local area network (LAN) having a plurality of terminals with a wide area network (WAN) therethrough, the dial-up router comprising: receiving means for receiving data to be transmitted from the LAN to the WAN; detecting means for detecting whether or not operation sections of the a plurality of terminals are used; judging means for judging whether or not the receiving means have received the data for a predetermined period X after the detecting means detected that the operation sections were used; and transmission means for transmitting the data to the WAN when the judging means judges that the receiving means have received the data.
At least one of the a plurality of terminals may be a personal computer, wherein the operation section of the personal computer is a keyboard.
At least one of the a plurality of terminals may be a personal computer, wherein the operation section of the personal computer is a mouse.
The detecting means may detect whether or not the operation sections are used per each of the a plurality of terminals individually.
The judging means may further comprise: measuring means for measuring the predetermined period X per each of the a plurality of terminals individually; and transmission permitting means for permitting transmission by judging whether or not the receiving means have received the data for the predetermined period X per each of the a plurality of terminals individually, the transmission permitting means permitting the transmission means to transmit the data to the WAN when the receiving means have received the data for the predetermined period X per each of the a plurality of terminals individually.
The transmission means transmitting the data to the WAN when the transmission permitting means permit the transmission, wherein the transmission means may also transmit the data to the WAN when the a plurality of terminals are not connected to the WAN.
According to another aspect of this invention, there is provided a method of controlling transmission in a dial-up router for use in constituting a network by connecting a local area network (LAN) having a plurality of terminals with a wide area network (WAN) therethrough, the method comprising the steps of: detecting operation information showing that operation has been executed in operation sections of the a plurality of terminals connected to the LAN when the data to be transmitted from the LAN to the WAN are received; judging that the operation has been executed based on the operation information during a predetermined period X before and after the time when the data are transmitted to the WAN; and transmitting the data received during the predetermined period X to the WAN as a result of the judging.
The predetermined period X being measured from the time when the operation information has been detected, wherein the dial-up router may transmit the data to the WAN if valid data are generated during the measurement and if the data are received while the valid data being generated.